Who Are You, My Mysterious Bitcoin User?

Bitcoin, being decentralized and addressing privacy, succeeded to erase the image of a typical user. It has even created a wall between the peers exchanging transactions. A recent research allowed determining the vague shape of virtual currency enthusiast, calling him or her an average user. I am sure that there is no one, who would be pleased to receive this title, but let us speak the statistical and scientific language, keeping in mind our individualities and peculiarities.

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Bitcoin, being decentralized and addressing privacy, succeeded to erase the image of a typical user. It has even created a wall between the peers exchanging transactions. A recent research allowed determining the vague shape of virtual currency enthusiast, calling him or her an average user. I am sure that there is no one, who would be pleased to receive this title, but let us speak the statistical and scientific language, keeping in mind our individualities and peculiarities.

The Principles of the Survey

The questions on Bitcoin and related habits were united in a survey and populated among numerous online users. The first 1000 valid filled in applications were used to perform the analysis.

The opportunity was opened in February of 2013 and it did not take much time to reach the required number. Further work of researchers allowed answering many questions that bothered users, unable to find something out about his peer.

The Average User

Briefly summing up the answers, the dear reader has to imagine the following person mirroring the average user:

The average user is a 32.1 year old libertarian male.

Top motivators for new users are curiosity, profit, and politics.

Bitcointalk.org is the dominant community platform.

Far more people have used Bitcoin for donations than for illegal transactions.

36.7% of users do not drink, smoke, gamble, or take drugs.

Going in the details shows us that 95,2% of users are male, who keep the dominance since the launch of Bitcoin. 44,3% of all respondents are anarcho-capitalists. In addition – non-religious (61,8%), working full-time (44,7%) and having responsibilities, as they are in a relationship (55,6%).

In comparison with the gender classification, other aspects are not univocal. 20,6% are Christian, but 38,8% are single. The political views are tending to be from the center to the left. The community of rather radical anarchists is diluted by liberals and environmentalists. All together occupy 38,5%.

Another point of scientific curiosity was the reason and term of engaging in Bitcoin. The timeline of events in Bitcoin history closely relates and resembles the statistics of installation of new clients. Motivations were following - curiosity (4.3/5), profit (3.7/5), politics (3.6/5), practical concerns (3.1/5), challenge (2.8/5), and community (2.7/5).

The age distribution has two peaks – at 26 and 30 years. Normally the form of the curve is a bell, but Bitcoin seems to be alternative everywhere it is possible.